Arizona-Based Painter Lucky Luciano’s Rolling Resume

The word "advertising" usually has a negative connotation, making us think of annoying commercials or pop-up ads online. However, advertising doesn't always have to be a bad thing—in the case of "Lucky" Luciano Lacerda, a custom automotive painter from Phoenix, the desire to advertise his business led him to create the slick green truck you see before you. Starting with his ordinary 2005 GMC Sierra shop truck, Lucky layered steel, fiberglass, and plenty of intricate paint to sculpt it into a real head-turner, as well as the ideal calling card for his business.

One of the most important parts of any show-quality paintjob is the prep work that's done before spraying, so Lucky and his team got to work tearing down the truck. Much of the truck's body was shaved and smoothed, including the tailgate, taillights, bedrails, and cowl panel. A custom-machined roll pan houses new four-leaf clover shaped taillights, and was grafted to the bedsides for a seamless look. Moving forward, a Leer tonneau cover lifts to reveal a freshly SEM-lined bed with a smooth metal floor panel that would later be airbrushed with glossy woodgrain. The front of the truck was dressed up with more custom machining, this time in the form of a four-leaf clover pattern billet grille. Finally, the roof was cut open, and a Webasto sunroof was dropped in. Next, the truck was ready for what Lucky does best: paint.

Gallons upon gallons of Planet Color paint were ordered, including candy green, white pearl, and blue pearl. Lucky began spraying the body in green, which pairs nicely with the truck's Irish theme. Swooping blue and cream-colored graphics were added across each side, and then Matt Andrews airbrushed the truck with vivid woodgrain and topped it off with portraits of beautiful girls on each side. The rear tailgate features a sinister-looking leprechaun and more woodgrain. Finally, the borders of all the graphics were intricately pinstriped by Ron Hernandez, using teal and purple accent colors. The expert paintwork also carries over to the engine bay and interior, showing impressive attention to detail.

No show truck is complete without a flawless interior, so that was the final step before its SEMA debut. Lucky took the truck to Bell Road Upholstery in Phoenix, where the bench seat was cut into buckets, then wrapped in Katzkin black leather for an upscale look. New black carpet and a suede headliner were also added, and a swooping custom fiberglass console stretches across the cab's center. Billet touches such as the Colorado Customs steering wheel and new vents add extra show appeal. To further show his paint skills, Lucky smoothed and paint-matched every interior panel, and layered more woodgrain and pinstriping on top. Finally, a full entertainment system was installed, including a Playstation 2, 6½-inch Rosen head unit, two 9-inch touchscreen monitors in the console, two 6-inch headrest monitors, and even a 19-inch Icon flip-down screen. Audio is pumped through two JL Audio amps, four JL Audio component speakers, and two subs housed in the center console.

With shimmering detailed paint, an over-the-top interior, and a clean exterior, Lucky's Sierra has become much more than an ordinary shop truck. Now, it's a great way to advertise his business, and it gives him a great excuse to roll out to truck events and show off his handiwork. Lucky wants to thank Matt Andrews, Ron Hernandez, and his sponsors: Katzkin, Webasto, Colorado Customs, Auto Style, Bully Dog, K&N, MBRP, Leer, Missing Link Guitars, and Insane Kustoms.

"It was a dream come true to finally be able to show what the shop can do. – Lucky Luciano"